Slide switch



p 1951 R. l. nlssmes 2,555,720

SLIDE SWITCH Filed Aug. 15, 1949 70 70 INVENTOR. GEORGE LD/SSl/VGER ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 4, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SLIDE SWITCHv George LDissinger, Davis, Calif;

Application August. 15, 1949, Serial. No.. 110,311

1 Claim. 1

The invention, in general, relates. to devices for controlling. electrical circuits. and translating ele ments. therein. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved snap action. electrical switch for adaptation to a relativelysmall space in a walloutlet'box.

As is perhaps wellknown. considerable attenution has been devoted? heretofore to the problem of providing a snap action slide switch capable of' rendering. substantially instantaneous engagement and disengagement between contacts without. resorting to! complexities of elements or assembly and. multiplicity of parts. and without deleterious wear or'undue arcing of contacts that reduce. the effectiveness and life of the device. While some recent developments have met and overcome some of" the difficulties, many of the snap" action switches heretofore marketed. are yet deficient in numerous operating, manufac= turing and wear characteristics. The present invention is directed to the provision of a slide, snap action electrical switch embodying. an as sembly of a minimum of operative parts which has-been tested byan outstanding electrical laboratory" and found to be appreciably better in all factions of production, operation and Wear, and which obviates the inherent disadvantages encountered and present in prior devices.

A primaryobject' of'the invention is to provide an improved slide switch of the snap action type wherein moving parts are reduced to a minimum; wherein contacts are instantaneously engaged and disengaged without arcing; and wherein capacity current flowtherethroughis attained within 0.001 ofa second upon closing of the circuit in whichthe switchisconnected.

Another important object of the present invention is" to provide an improved slide, snap action switch of the indicated nature which is additionally characterized by its capacity" of applying. when inclosed position, constant; uniform compression force between contacts and terminals affording; and insuring constant maximum current flow in the circuit containing the switch.

A stillfurther ohj'ect't of my invention is to provide an improved snap-action slide switch of the aforementioned character which; is relatively in= expensive to manufacture and which has" been engineered for life-time service requiring little, ifany; maintenance.

Another object of' the present invention is to provide: a snap action slide switch of the indicated" nature which is additionally characterized by its ease of" puslihutton manipulation; by its safety factors wherein fire; hazards are elimiz. hated; and by its simplification of parts, assembly and installation.

Another object, of the invention, together with some of. the advantageous features thereof, will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the" invention which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings; It is to be understood, however; that'I' am not to be limited to the precise embodiment shown, nor to the precise arrangement of the parts thereof, as my invention, as definedv in the appended claim, can be embodied in a plurality and variety of forms.

Referring to the drawings Fig. 1 is a front perspective View of -a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, sectional vi'ew'of a wall switch embodying the invention, this view showing a portion of the-coverand supporting strip broken away.

Fig. 3 is a transverse, sectional elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of the invention, omitting the cover supporting strip.

Fig. 5 is a view ofthe switch, taken on theline 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a viewtaken on theline 66 ofFig. 2.

In its preferred form, theimproved snap action slide switch of my'present invention preferably comprises a pair of fixed, convex upper surface contacts on the inner bottom surface of a housing, together with a sli'clably mounted member supporting a resilient contact strip having concavo-convexo extremities presenting a convex surface. for engagement with each of said fixed contacts, and means for effecting rapid snap action compression engagement between the convex surfaces of said slid'able, resilient contact strip. and the: convex: upper surfaces of saidfixed contacts as well as for readily disengaging said surfaces at will.

As particularly illustrated in Fig; 20f the drawings, I provide a housing I l for enclosing the operating parts of the switch, which is formed with an inner bottom surface defininga planar central portion 12 and raisedsideportionspresena ing convex surfaces; l3, and- M at one side and convex surfaces It and t! at the opposite side; such portions extending from: the front to the back of such inner. bottomsurf'ace' of'thehousing. Moreover, there is provided'between each pair of convex surfaces 13, 1.4 and I6, I"! an. upstanding rib is over which the sli'dable. contact. strip, hereafter describedrides in its, to andifro. movement from on and off positions of the switch. The housing II preferably is molded from a suitable electrical insulation material, such as a phenolic condensate, and is so formed as to provide a rel atively large interior chamber I9. In addition, the housing is so formed as to afford a recess 2| in its front Wall adjacent to the bottom 22 and at one side thereof, as well as a corresponding recess, not shown, in its rear wall adjacent to the bottom 22 but at the opposite side thereof; such recesses accommodating bent down portions of fixed contacts, hereinafter described, and for passing binding posts 23.

In accordance with the present invention, the convex surfaces I3 and it of the pairs of convex Surfaces I3, IQ and E6, I? at the opposite sides of the inner bottom surface of the housing II are left bare while the convex surfaces It and ll of such pairs of convex surfaces are provided with convex contacts or terminals 24 and 2's fabricated of hard brass or other good electrical conducting material. The outer extremity of terminal 2 is flattened, bent down within recess 2! and formed with a threaded aperture for theadedly receiving the binding post 23, while the opposite extremity of the terminal 2? is similarly fiattened, bent down within a recess at the base of housing II connected to recess 25, and formed with a threaded aperture for threadedly receiving a similar binding post 23- at the back of hous ing II. Such terminals 24 and 2? are fixed and immovable at all times and are connected through the binding posts 23 to suitable conductors, not shown, of an electrical circuit controlled by the switch.

With further particular reference to Fig. 2 of the annexed drawings, my improved snap action slide switch includes within chamber It of hous ing I I a slidable member, generally designated by the reference numeral 28, which is adapted to be moved to and fro on the inner bottom surface .of the housing and which preferably includes a block 29 fabricated or molded of an electrical in- .bronz, each contact presenting a convex under surface 34 and 37, respectively, for engaging the convex upper surfaces of the fixed contacts or terminals 24 and 27 as well as for engaging, respectively, the bare convex surfaces I3 and I5 of the inner bottom of the housing II in the on and off positions of the switch, respectively. In

Fig. 2, the block 29 is shown in the off position of the switch with its carried resilient contact strip having its extremities engaging the bare convex surfaces I3 and it of the inner bottom surface of housing II. By pushbutton action, hereinafter explained, the block 29 with its re= sllient contact strip 3| can be slid under snap action to the right, as viewed in Fig. 2, to bring the convex under surfaces 34 and 3! of the ex tremities 32 and 33, respectively, of the strip 3i, into engagement with the upper convex surfaces of convex terminals 24 and 2?. Due to the oppo sitely curved meeting surfaces presented when the convex lower surfaces of the contacts 34 and 31 engage with the convex upper surfaces of not only the bare surfaces I3 and I5 but also the fixed terminals or contacts 24 and 27, in both positions of the sliding contact strip 3i a relatively strong compression force inherently is exerted by these elements, per se, which force is augmented by a force component exerted by the elements herein after described which results in strong, positive engagements between all meeting surfaces which are retained until the pushbutton is manipulated to change the positions of the movable or slidable contacts 34 and 3? from their one to their other settable position. Consequently, once the contact strip 3| has been moved to bring its contact extremities 34 and 31 into engagement with either the non-terminal convex surfaces I3, I6 or the contact terminal I4 and ll of the inner bottom surface of the housing I I, there is no likelihood of any joggling or play between the meeting surfaces and no arcing of the contacts will occur when the four contacts are in engagement.

In accordance with the present invention, I provide within the housing I I a specially formed spacer block, generally designated by the reference numeral 4| which is so constructed as to provide therein a guide recess 32 for accommodating the contact strip retaining block 29 and for limiting the to and fro movement of such block. The spacer block 4| also is formed with recesses or cut-outs, indicated by the reference numeral 13, at opposite sides thereof to enable the passing of the contact extremities 3 4 and 31 of the resilient contact strip 3| as such contact strip is carried to and fro with the movement of the block 29. Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings. The top of the spacer block 4! is formed with a pair of spaced, upstanding ears defining guides for the pushbutton hereinafter described and the spacer block also is formed with a hole 44 therethrough for the reception of a toggle pin 46 upon which is mounted an actuating lever 41. Coiled about the lower end of the actuating lever 41 and anchored thereto is a relatively heavy, high tensii steel spring t9 which seats in a recess 5| formed in the upper surface of the block 29. By pivotally moving the actuating lever through movement of the pushbutton, and by force of the steel: spring 49, a positive snap action is given or transmitted to the block 29 causing the same to snap either to the right or to the left, depending upon the direction of movement of the pushbutton, to throw the resilient steel strip to the right or to the left either to make or break the circuit. As is shown in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings, the upper wall of the spacer block 4| is formed with an opening 52 therein for passing the actuating lever 4? which extends within the hollow pushbutton. It is to be observed, in this connection, that the resiliency of the contact strip 3| urges the block 29 upwardly against the action of the tensil spring ie so that there is always positive engagement between these elements.

The embodiment of the present invention il1ustrated in the accompanying drawings includes a combination closure and switch supporting strip 6| which also serves as a mounting element for a pushbutton 52; the supporting strip or plate 6| having an elongated, rectangular opening 63 formed therein for accommodating the pushbutton 62. It also is to be observed that the supporting plate BI is provided with depending legs 64 which engage an outturned-flange65 formed on the housing I I for interlocking the plate with the housing. Moreover, the plate seats on the upper surface of the housing II and spaces such supporting plate from the spacer block 4| to define a race 66 for sliding movement of the pushbutton 62. In this connection, the pushbutton preferably is formed to the shape depicted in Fig. 2 of the drawings and is provided with a hollow interior, indicated by the reference nu- See, in this connection, I

meral 61, for receiving the upper end of the actuating lever 41. Moreover, the pushbutton 62 is so formed as to provide thereon an upper flange 68 upon which may be delineated by suitable indicia the words off and on, as well as a lower flange 69 which is fitted into the race 66 and which slides on the upper surface of the spacer block I. As particularly indicated in Fig. 6 of the drawings, the pushbutton 62 is limited in its movement by means of suitable stops formed on the upper wall of the spacer block 4|. The closure and supporting plate for the housing H is so formed, as indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, to afford suitable eyelets H at each longitudinal extremity thereof through which suitable screws may be passed for attaching the housing II to the outlet box, not shown, of the conventional type in a wall outlet. Preferably, the closure and supporting plate 6| is fabricated of an aluminum alloy and can be stamped therefrom readily.

It is to be especially noted that the construction of the spacer block 4| is such that a relatively large cooling area, indicated by the recess 42, is afiorded so that the operating parts will not become unduly heated in operation. The construction is such that all of the operating parts are confined within a dustproof area in a compact housing suitably insulated and yet of sufficient strength to withstand appreciably heavy duty use and handling. By the provision of the upstanding ribs l8 intermediate the surfaces I3, I 4 and l6, H, the snap action of the resilient contact strip 3| is enhanced due to the fact that the outer convex surfaces of the extremities 34 and 31 of contact strip 3| ride over such ribs I8 as the contact-retaining block 29 is oscillated or caused to move to and fro by the manipulation of the pushbutton 62; such action causing the throw of the actuating lever 41 which is fabricated of vulcanized fibre in order that electrical insulation between the top plate and the pushbutton is secured.

It is to be understood that the appended claim is to be accorded a range of equivalents commensurate in scope with the advance made over the prior art.

I claim:

In an electric switch, in combination, a housing having an interior chamber bounded in part by a bottom surface; said bottom surface having two pairs of raised convex sections at opposite extremities thereof arranged in spaced relationship, a convex electrical contact secured on one section of each of said spaced pairs of sections, a block having a recess therein slidably mounted within said chamber, a resilient strip secured to said block; said strip having concavo-convexo electrical contact extremities with the convex surfaces of said extremities faced toward said bottom surface, an actuating element to effect sliding of said block Within said chamber for moving said resilient contacts into engagement with said convex electrical contacts on said sections for compression engagement therebetween, and a spring coiled about said actuating element and seated in the recess of said block; said spring being adapted to exert a positive force on said block to hold said resilient strip under a positive force both in operative and in inoperative positions with respect to said convex electrical contacts whereby complete compression engagement between the contacts of said strip and said convex contacts is had when the switch is turned on.

GEORGE I. DIS'SINGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,011,788 Winger Aug. 20, 1935 2,210,037 Meuer Aug. 6, 1940 2,254,729 Bryant et a1 Sept. 2, 1941 

